Music business students prepare for the 7th annual Fredstock Festival

Fredstock 2016 is two days away and the music business students and faculty at Longwith Radio, Television and Film Building are busy with last-minute preparations.

This year’s music festival, the seventh annual event, is scheduled for 4-10 p.m. April 29 in Lot 7 at Courtland Place and North Main Avenue.

Fredstock is named in honor of Fred Weiss, who as a radio-TV-film professor at this college for 20 years established the music business program in 2005.

Weiss’ death in 2008 inspired the next music business coordinator, Adjunct Donnie Meals, to develop the festival as a real life application of what music business students have learned in their courses and to name the festival after the man whose vision was realized in the creation of the program.

Meals said the students do everything, from talent booking, stage setup and tear down, marketing through the Fredstock website and social media accounts, and sponsor and vendor recruitment.

Music business sophomore Bronson Armijo said, “Everyone has different roles depending on what courses you are in.”

The students from MUSB 1341, Concert Promotion and Venue Management, were made responsible for sponsor management and contracts and managing the Fredstock web site, Facebook and Twitter accounts, Armijo said.

Those students in MUSB 2345, Live Music and Talent Management, were placed in charge of the live music talent, to include contracts, and and flier dissemination, he said.

Armijo said his class, RTVB 2431, Audio/Radio Production 3 (Multi-Track Recording), was charged with gathering stage plots, input lists and other production needs as well as managing the band times and prep.

“Part of our semester grade is based on the timeliness and accuracy of the information we provided to … Meals. Each student was required to bring in one vendor and sponsor,” Armijo said.

According to the Fredstock website, all proceeds from the music festival will go toward the music business program.

The music lineup will start off with DJ Gibb, and be followed by the Anthony Wright Band, Benny Harp Blues Band, Jeff Smith and The Hickoids, and Javier Escovedo and The City Lights.

Video samples of each band’s music can be viewed at the Fredstock website.

A collection of food trucks and beer vendors will be on site along with arts and crafts booths.

Admission and parking are free to the general public at this family-friendly event.

KSYM 90.1 FM will be on site to simulcast the event live over the air and online.

For more information, call the music business program at 210-486-1380 or visit www.fredstocksatx.com.